Thoughts
by Stephanie18
Summary: The thoughts of a dying X-5. It is post-finale, but I can guarantee you that it is way different from the rest.


Thoughts  
  
Thanks for giving it a chance. You may be thinking that this will be just like all the other post-finale fics where Max realizes she is in Manticore (insert angst/thoughts of Logan here) then she breaks out of Manticore and her and Logan admit they love each other and live happily ever after or just live happily ever after. Not so here pals. This is different and I don't believe that there are any post-finales like it, so let's begin.  
Important, after the talking stops and the X-5's "visitor" (I don't want to ruin it for ya) leaves, it becomes totally the X-5's (not ruining) thoughts, so just know that.  
Almost forgot...  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything...well, a CD player, but really nothing else. What I'm saying is, Dark Angel belongs to all those people in the credits...not me.  
  
  
  
He opened his eyes and stared ahead. A blurry figure was standing at the edge of his bed. He briefly wondered what they had him drugged up on then he blinked and his vision became clear. He was staring at Renfro. Then he fully realized it. He in fact was back at Manticore.  
  
"Good to see your up Zack." She said without emotion.  
  
"What's going on?" He asked with anger.  
  
"Don't be so hostile." She practically teased. "You'll pull a stitch."  
  
"I'll be hostile if I please thank you very much." Zack told her. The anger stayed in his voice.  
  
"Now, now. What will it solve? Hmmmm?" She asked.  
  
"Damnit, what's going on?" He asked. The memories of everything that had happened flashed in his mind.  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked even though she very well knew what he was talking about.  
  
"How am I alive? I-I gave my heart to Max." He said. The anger was slightly replaced by fear and a type of caring, but not much.  
  
"Yes, you did." She teased. She waited a moment then continued. She enjoyed seeing him squirm. "Your heart was given to Max."  
  
"How is she?" He asked. She sensed the fear and real caring in his voice and her face curved into an evil smile.  
  
"X-5 452, or as so many affectionately call her, Max, is all fine and well. She's healing well too. All thanks to your X-5 heart." She told him.  
  
"Good." He said quietly. "But you still didn't answer me. How am I alive?"  
  
"That's really what I came here to tell you." She said. The smile was gone from her face now. It was replaced with her nothing and no emotions look. "You see, after the operation, we decided to do a little testing." Zack slightly winced. He hated that Manticore, the place he escaped, had the chance to do even more tests on him. She continued. "We took one of our lab created hearts and we placed it in you. The operation was a success...for a while."  
  
"What do you mean 'for a while'? What's going on?" Zack asked impatiently.  
  
"Well, you were unconscious after the operation, but all your vitals were good. Then, just about half an hour ago, we came in to check your stats, and we found that you were growing weaker every minute. You won't make it to lunch." She told him.  
  
"W-what?" He stuttered.  
  
"You'll be gone in a little while Zack." She said a little loudly. "You don't have much time. Maybe half an hour, maybe five minutes. We're not really sure, but we've got a bet going whether or not you'll really make it to lunch or not."  
  
Zack was outraged that these uncaring, heartless devils would make a bet on his life. "You bastards." He said quietly, but he knew she heard him very well.  
  
"Watch your mouth Zack. You don't want your last word to be so foul, do you? I would think that you of all of them would want to die remembered." She said.  
  
"You obviously don't know anything about any of us, especially me then." He said angrily.  
  
"Maybe not...we'll just have to capture Lydecker and have him spill all the X-5 secrets and mind wavelengths before we kill him, won't we?" She asked with evident malicious.  
  
"Heartless bitch." He spat.  
  
"Heartless? No, I don't think so. You see, I've got a fully functioning heart...not like you." She said and waved a hand toward the equipment that was keeping him as alive as it could. She knew she angered and hurt him and she was loving it.  
  
"Get out." He growled.  
  
"Excuse me?" She asked. "Your the one with restraints holding you onto an uncomfortable bed. That makes you in no position to order me around."  
  
"Just get the hell out." He said. "I want to be alone."  
  
"Ah, I see. You probably want to be alone with your last thoughts. I understand." She said then went over to the door. She opened it slightly, then turned to him and said, "And make your last words good ones." She then gestured toward a security camera. "We'll pass them along to Max, via the camera." She smiled a little, with clear evil, then left. He was alone.  
  
Damnit. Back in this hellhole again. He thought. How could I...? I let this happen. No. I really made this happen. The moment I lifted that gun to my head and said that I had a heart for her, that's really when I put myself here.  
  
Only, I didn't think they would do this. I thought I would just drift off into the background, but no. Manticore couldn't let me have that pleasant of a thought. No, they had to put this damned lab generated heart in me and now it's failing.  
  
I suppose they couldn't make a better one. The Pulse practically ruined them and I'm glad. I wonder how many more of these damn hearts they've got. Probably hundreds...maybe thousands.  
  
At least I know Max is safe from this. This horrible death feeling. That bitch took valuable minutes from me. Valuable minutes of my life, just because she wanted to make a speech. I could've used those minutes. I could've used them to think about...Max.  
  
Her hair. Her smile. Her eyes. Her face in general. Everything about her. That's a good way to put it. Everything about her. I loved it all. Of course, all I got for that was some mental slaps in the face. She wouldn't listen to me. No, not Max. Had to be her stubborn self. She had to stay in Seattle with her little friends and...him.  
  
I don't really hate him really. That's such a strong word. Maybe I should use a strong word, but not hate. Hate is saved for Manticore. Him, well, I won't have time to find a new word for him, but it isn't hate. I'm sure he'd be happy to know that...Max would too.  
  
Why does everything always go back to her with me? It seems like every time I go to do something, a little voice in the back of my head always whispers, 'What would Max do? What would she think? What would she say?' I ignore it most of the time, but it keeps getting more and more difficult. Ah, screw the voice. It's over now.  
  
I just want to be able to leave. I would leave if I could, get Max, and just leave. Hell, right now, I'd even end up hugging Miracle Boy. I admit it. At this state, I would hug Miracle Boy. That just must be the drugs talking. I'd probably only shake his hand or give him a nod...because he's Miracle Boy.  
  
Miracle Boy who Max, there she is showing up in my thoughts again, decides to choose over me. If I had more time on this Earth, I would ponder this, but seeing as I have limited time now, I'll let it go. As long as she's happy.  
  
But what about the rest? They're all finally coming up in my mind. Things are getting a little cloudy. I'm forgetting a few thoughts, but that's all right now. What're they gonna do without me? I just don't hope they appoint Max leader. She'd have them all in here in 48 hours. No, I've got to have a little more faith in Maxie. 72 hours. She trusts too many people and too much. That's nice and all, but not for our kind of...people. There I go with the Max talk. I swear I love her and all, but it's ridiculous how many times things always turn to her.  
  
Ah Jesus! What is that pain?? God, it's awful. It feels like this goddamned heart is being ripped from my chest instead of just dying in it. This is it. I know it. This is my downfall. Who would of thought that I, Zack, would die here? Certainly not me. I would've thought I would have died somewhere pleasant. I just can't believe that my last minutes and seconds will spent here in Manticore, the place I escaped long ago. But now escape is futile. It's over.  
  
Zack lifts his head slowly and stares into the security camera and a new wave of pain washes over him. He remembers that Renfro told him that they would be relaying this tape, or his message, to Max. Her words lingered in his head. Yes, he had to make it meaningful.  
  
"I did it all for you." He said still staring into the camera. "And I l-l-" His head became too heavy. It fell back onto his pillow. He knew that was it.   
  
The pain became terrible for five seconds, then he felt nothing. He took his last breath and his eyes closed slowly. The end of X-5 559, better known as Zack, had come.  
  
THE END  
  
I know I'm probably boring you to sobs with these lil notes here, but this was my first Dark Angel fic...well, not technically. I started two others and they aren't done yet and...nevermind. So this is my first *posted* Dark Angel fic. There, that is correct.  
Didja like it? I'm not really a Zack fan and I know some, if not most, Zack fans are screaming 'why God why?', but I wrote this neutrally. Okay, so I did plan for Zack to die, but it's no reason to cry for him *consoles a hysterical Zack fan* It'll be okay. He'll come back another day (not by me mind you, but one day he'll be back). This idea popped into my head at like five o'clock in the morning sometime and I just had to run with it. Well, I ran and I like it. Let me know what you think. =) 


End file.
